Altium Designer AlternativesTop CAD Software and other similar apps like Altium Designer

Altium Designer is described as 'Software is for PCB design. From schematic capture to PCB design as well as FPGA Programmation, signal integrity check, mixed analog/digital simulation, this software is what you need when it comes to PCB design and all aspects of ECAD/ MCAD and team' and is a CAD software in the education & reference category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Altium Designer for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Flathub and Web-based apps. The best Altium Designer alternative is KiCad, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Altium Designer are Fritzing, Square Sketch, Autodesk EAGLE and QUCS.

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Altium Designer alternatives are mainly Circuit Simulators but may also be Electronic Design Automation Tools or CAD Software.  Other popular filters includes Windows + Free. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Altium Designer.
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Altium Designer software is for PCB design. From schematic capture to PCB design as well as FPGA Programmation, signal integrity check, mixed analog/digital simulation, this software is what you need when it comes to PCB...

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Altium Designer alternatives page was last updated Sep 9, 2024
  1. KiCad icon
     106 likes

    KiCad is an open source software suite for electronic design automation (EDA) - designing schematics of electronic circuits and printed circuit boards (PCB). KiCad is developed by Jean-Pierre Charras. And features an integrated environment between schematic capture, bill of...

    58 KiCad alternatives
    PcbNew - Editor

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Multiplatform
    2.  3D Renderer
    3.  Portable
    4.  Wast library
    5.  3d sketching
    KiCad iconAltium Designer Icon

    KiCad VS Altium Designer

    Is KiCad a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
    Comments about KiCad as an Alternative to Altium Designer
     
    Michal D.

    It's free and provide very good possibilities for circuit and PCB boards design

    Positive commentJun 28, 2021
    0
    Guest

    Ease of schematic and pcb creating. BOM creation is not very good as excel templates cannot be used so this becomes a largely manual process. Most of the add-on tools cannot be added regardless of what the instructions say. Following the instructions usually ends in some sort of crash. Import/translation tools never install regardless of the instructions. But, with all of that said KiCad is still the best free alternative to Altium Designer.

    Positive commentJan 3, 2021
    0
    Altium Designer Icon
    KiCad icon
    • Most users think KiCad is a great Altium Designer alternative.

    • KiCad is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Altium Designer.

    • KiCad is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Altium Designer.

    • KiCad is Free and Open SourceAltium Designer is Paid and Proprietary
    • KiCad is LightweightAltium Designer is not according to our users
  2. Fritzing icon
     98 likes

    Fritzing is a very-very handy a tool, very complex but very simple to use, to design circuits, as well as so called "layouts", be it PCB or stripboard or breadboard.

    56 Fritzing alternatives
    Fritzing screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub

    Fritzing Features

    1.  Create UI Components
    2.  Arduino
    Fritzing iconAltium Designer Icon

    Fritzing VS Altium Designer

    Is Fritzing a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
    Comments about Fritzing as an Alternative to Altium Designer
     
    Guest

    That's a good scheme creator for arduino developpement, but it's not an alternative for professional designer software.

    Negative commentAug 1, 2020
    1
    Guest

    fritzinf doesnt allow simulation

    Negative commentFeb 7, 2016
    0
    Altium Designer Icon
    Fritzing icon
    • Some users think Fritzing is a great Altium Designer alternative, some don't.

    • Fritzing is the most popular commercial alternative to Altium Designer.

    • Fritzing is Paid and Open SourceAltium Designer is Paid and Proprietary
  3. Square Sketch icon
     5 likes

    Square Sketch recreates drawing and writing on graph paper. Instead of a pen, a mouse and keyboard are used, creating precise vector graphics that can be edited flexibly.

    98 Square Sketch alternatives
    Square Sketch screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Sketching
    6.  Export to PDF
    7.  Export to PNG
    8.  Export to SVG
    Square Sketch iconAltium Designer Icon

    Square Sketch VS Altium Designer

    Is Square Sketch a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
  4. Autodesk EAGLE icon
     32 likes

    Autodesk EAGLE is an electronic design automation (EDA) software. Enabling printed circuit board (PCB) designers to seamlessly connect schematic diagrams, component placement, PCB routing, and comprehensive library content.

    45 Autodesk EAGLE alternatives
    Autodesk EAGLE screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Autodesk EAGLE iconAltium Designer Icon

    Autodesk EAGLE VS Altium Designer

    Is Autodesk EAGLE a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
    Comments about Autodesk EAGLE as an Alternative to Altium Designer
     
    Guest

    Cheaper but fully competent, and sufficient for most designs.

    Positive commentMay 22, 2017
    1
    Altium Designer Icon
    Autodesk EAGLE icon
    • Most users think Autodesk EAGLE is a great Altium Designer alternative.

    • Autodesk EAGLE is Paid and ProprietaryAltium Designer is also Paid and Proprietary
  5. QUCS icon
     34 likes

    The Quite Universal Circuit Simulator (QUCS) is an integrated circuit simulator allowing the simulation and graphical presentation of results of large-signal, small-signal and noise behavior in circuits.

    38 QUCS alternatives
    QUCS screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    QUCS iconAltium Designer Icon

    QUCS VS Altium Designer

    Is QUCS a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
  6. EasyEDA icon
     18 likes

    EasyEDA - Web-based and desktop EDA suite; runs in browser, Windows, Mac, or Linux. Schematic capture, Ngspice based simulation, PCB layout, custom PCB manufacturing, for electronic engineers, educators, students and hobbyists.

    54 EasyEDA alternatives
    EasyEDA screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    EasyEDA iconAltium Designer Icon

    EasyEDA VS Altium Designer

    Is EasyEDA a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
    • EasyEDA is the most popular Web-based alternative to Altium Designer.

    • EasyEDA is Free and ProprietaryAltium Designer is Paid and Proprietary
  7. LTspice icon
     20 likes

    LTspice IV is a high performance Spice III simulator, schematic capture and waveform viewer with enhancements and models for easing the simulation of switching regulators.

    37 LTspice alternatives
    LTspice screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    LTspice Features

    1.  Electron valves
    LTspice iconAltium Designer Icon

    LTspice VS Altium Designer

    Is LTspice a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
  8. Proteus PCB design icon
     16 likes

    Proteus PCB design combines the schematic capture and ARES PCB layout programs to provide a powerful, integrated and easy to use suite of tools for professional PCB Design.

    51 Proteus PCB design alternatives
    Proteus PCB design screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Proteus PCB design iconAltium Designer Icon

    Proteus PCB design VS Altium Designer

    Is Proteus PCB design a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
  9. LibrePCB icon
     17 likes

    LibrePCB is a free EDA software to develop printed circuit boards. It’s currently under heavy development to bring out first stable releases as soon as possible.

    51 LibrePCB alternatives
    LibrePCB screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  3d sketching
    LibrePCB iconAltium Designer Icon

    LibrePCB VS Altium Designer

    Is LibrePCB a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
    Comments about LibrePCB as an Alternative to Altium Designer
     
    dbrgn

    The project is still fresh, but very promising. The developers have spent a lot of time thinking about proper a library file format that avoids problems of current open source EDA suites and will make creating and sharing comprehensive parts libraries easier. It is also much better regarding usability than current alternatives like KiCAD.

    Positive commentMay 14, 2018
    0
    Altium Designer Icon
    LibrePCB icon
    • LibrePCB is Free and Open SourceAltium Designer is Paid and Proprietary
    • LibrePCB is LightweightAltium Designer is not according to our users
  10. Pspice icon
     4 likes

    Software for Simulating Voltage and Currents of a text file net-list of a electronics components such as Resistors, Capacitors, inductors, transisters, Diodes, Voltage and Current Sources, etc.

    33 Pspice alternatives
    Pspice screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Pspice iconAltium Designer Icon

    Pspice VS Altium Designer

    Is Pspice a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
  11. PipeWalker icon
     Like this app

    This is a puzzle game in which you need to combine the components into a single circuit: connect all computers to a network server, bring water to the taps, etc.

    36 PipeWalker alternatives
    PipeWalker screenshot 1
    PipeWalker screenshot 2
    +3
    PipeWalker screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub

    PipeWalker Features

    1.  Portable
    PipeWalker iconAltium Designer Icon

    PipeWalker VS Altium Designer

    Is PipeWalker a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
  12. NI Circuit Design Suite Power Pro icon
     12 likes

    NI Circuit Design Suite software improves the PCB design process by integrating capture, simulation, and layout into a single toolchain with NI Multisim and Ultiboard software.

    46 NI Circuit Design Suite Power Pro alternatives
    NI Circuit Design Suite Power Pro screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    NI Circuit Design Suite Power Pro iconAltium Designer Icon

    NI Circuit Design Suite Power Pro VS Altium Designer

    Is this a good alternative to Altium Designer?
     
12 of 50 Altium Designer alternatives